Highlights of Kwazulu Natal

9 night Fly-drive

Includes £300pp discount!

Fly to Durban and spend 2 nights in uMhlanga Rocks where you will be staying on a bed & breakfast basis at the Protea Hotel uMhlanga Ridge. After your 2 nights here make your way to Hluhluwe where you have 3 nights at your private Game reserve on a Full Board basis.

After 3 days of exciting game drives make your way to the Battlefields where you will spend your next 2 nights surrounded by moving history at the Fugitives Drift Lodge. Your final 2 nights will be spent at the Cathedral Peak hotel in Drakensburg before driving to Johannesburg airport to drop your car off and fly home.

What's Included

Return flights

FREE car hire for the FULL duration

2 nights at the Protea Hotel uMhlanga ridge, B&B

3 nights Full Board at the Leopard Mountain game lodge

FREE Game Drives

2 nights at Fugitives Drift Lodge, B&B

2 nights at the Cathedral Peak Hotel, B&B

£300 per person discount

We are delighted to let you know about a number of excursions that we can offer which will not only save you up to 50% off the local ticket prices, but save you valuable time during your stay.

You can call us free of charge on 01737 646416to book any of these trips & tours.

Durban city tour: £25per person

The ideal introduction to this city by the sea, explore the ‘Golden Mile’ beachfront area, visit the Indian and Herbal markets and learn about the Zulu, Indian and colonial influences that have shaped its history and culture.

This half day city tour is the perfect way to sample some of the attractions and get your bearings. The tour starts off with a drive along the Golden Mile beachfront area, which takes it’s name from the Portuguese explorers who referred to the sea sand along the coast in this area as the 'Sands of Gold'. See Vetchies Pier and lavish casinos as wells as diverse cultural mix of locals from sari clad Indian ladies walking on the sand to surfers, children feeding the pigeons to traditional healers collecting bottles of seawater to use as muti (medicine). Continue to the harbour entrance for magnificent views of Durban’s coastline before taking in Emanuel Cathedral and the City Hall. The next stop are the Indian and herbal markets where you get a real taste of the Indian influences for which the city is renowned. Enjoy the scents of spices and see the hawkers and herbalists ply their trades. Afterwards, drive through the sprawling informal settlement of Cato Manor before concluding at the Botanic Gardens where you can purchase a refreshing cup of morning tea.

Ushaka Marine World: £35 per person

Explore the wonders of the ocean at the magnificent uShaka Marine World, Africa’s largest Marine Theme Park. See the largest collection of sharks in the Southern Hemisphere, snorkel with sea colourful creatures, view dolphins and enjoy a thrilling range of water slides and rides.

Set on the Durban beachfront, uShaka Marine World spans over 15 hectares and comprises over wonderful exhibits including one of the aquariums in the world. Explore the Shark infested waters of Africa’s East Coast, touch a star fish or feel a sea cucumber at the rocky shore and swim with sea creatures at snorkel lagoon. Other attractions include the 1200-seater Dolphinarium, seal pool and penguin rookery.

Those looking for something a bit more active will not be disappointed with uShaka Wet’n Wild, with a host of slides and pools. Climb to the top of the adrenalin-pumping freefall slide, try the kamikaze ride for gut-wrenching thrills or race down the five-lane racer. For the less adventurous, relax on the sand or take a leisurely float through the park on a lazy river.

Itinerary

Day by Day

Day 1 London to Durban

Fly overnight from London to Durban

Day 2 Durban

When you arrive in Durban pick up your compact car and drive the short distance to your accommodation in Umhlanga Rocks where you will spend 2 nights. Enjoy the evening at leisure.

Day 3 Umhlanga Rocks

Visitors from around the world flock to the holiday resort village of Umhlanga Rocks to relax and have fun on one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. Situated on the east coast of South Africa just north of the vibrant Port City of Durban, Umhlanga faces the the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and has the best South African accommodation. The golden sandy beaches stretch northwards for more than 200 kilometres, all the way to the spectacular Isimangaliso Wetland Park, a world heritage site. Inland from Umhlanga, endless fields of sugarcane give way to the undulating landscape of the Valley of 1000 Hills, the massive Inanda Dam and the mystical hidden valleys of Zululand.

Day 4 Umhlanga Rocks to Hluhluwe

After your 2 nights of relaxing on the beach it’s time to start your Safari experience. Your lodge is a 3 hour drive away so you will have plenty of time to get there before the first of your game drives begin.

Day 5 – 6 Leopard Mountain Game Lodge

A Big 5 multiple award winning 4 Star lodge, set within an Endangered Species Protected Area offering peace and tranquillity with friendly hospitality. Your beautiful lodge has the most spectacular views in Zululand, from the river meandering below to the distant Lebombo Mountains.

Big 5 game drives take you through well stocked, unspoilt bush veld and endless rivers winding through indigenous forest, a birders paradise. Our guided walking safaris offer an intimate encounter with the African bush veld and Big 5 animals taking you to places beyond the reach of vehicles. Join your mid day waterhole lookout activity to watch an array of animals coming down to drink from our unique waterhole setting.

Luxury accommodation in 9 well appointed, stone chalets with a hammock and private plunge pool nestled in the cliff tops overlooking the river below. The sought after chef will prepare your tantalizing meals, which can be accompanied by your choice of wine from our multi-award winning cellar.

Day 7 Hluhluwe to Battlefields

After an early morning game drive check out your lodge and begin your 3 hour drive to your next accommodation. When you arrive at the Fugitives Drift lodge check in and enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

Day 8 Fugitives Drift Lodge

Led by the finest guides in South Africa, thought-provoking and often emotionally charged tours are conducted daily to Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift. Walks and horserides through the reserve to view abundant game and birdlife are offered as well as fishing the 20km frontage on the Buffalo River.

The reserve offers a choice of accommodation in either the Lodge or the Guest House, both owned by the Rattrays and both born out of their extensive experience in the hospitality industry. Evident in every corner of Fugitives’ Drift is the Rattrays’ love of South Africa, its people and its unique history.

Both the Lodge and Guest House have spacious and luxurious en-suite cottages which all have private verandahs and broad views over the plains flanking the Buffalo River Gorge. The Lodge and Guest House both have swimming pools set in their colourful, well established gardens which are home to innumerable bird species.

Day 9 Battlefields to Drakensburg

Another 3 hour drive will take you to your last accommodation where you will spend your final 2 nights

Day 10 Cathedral Peak Hotel

Nestled in the unspoiled surroundings of the Drakensberg mountain range (a World Heritage Site) lies Cathedral Peak Hotel, one of South Africa's premier resort hotels.

Just 250 kilometers from Durban and 400 km from Johannesburg, the famous Cathedral Peak Hotel is easily accessible to its many visitors from all over South Africa and abroad. Since the hotel first opened to guests in 1939, the van der Riet family has succeeded in offering warm hospitality, combined with exceptional service and value for money.

Day 11 Drakensburg to Johannesburg to London

After an amazing holiday you will drive to Johannesburg airport where you will drop your car off and check in for your overnight flight home.